Season's greetings
by Nia Frost
Summary: Some of us understand that with colder weather means bundling up more, but for the Strider brothers, who've never left Texas, a surprise is laying in wait as they are invited to spend Christmas with the Egbert's in Washington.


Alright. Here's the deal. I feel like crap right now but that's all cool. I'm used to being sick around Christmas. Puking is no fun however. As not to agitate my body into feeling worse though I've been laying around all day. Kinda gets boring you know, but i'm easily entertained. I was browsing around the Homesmut boards when I came across a few sick fics. They were interestingly written, so I decided I wanted to give a hand at it too. First sick fic i've ever tried, so please give me some room here. As for Bro's name, I kinda borrowed it from one of my favorite homesmut stories atm. It's Bro/Dad and it's about Bro's first time. It's amazing and if you should find it and give it a read i'm sure you'll agree too (if you are a bro/dad fan that is)

Anyway, my head is kinda spinning so i'll leave you all with this. I'm sorry I haven't updated on Unexpected yet but i'm getting to it, I promise. As soon as I dont feel overheated and like my brains are swisshing around when i move I'll get to work on it.

~Nia

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><p>wasn't sure how this had happened. He was the only one currently in a healthy state as his son and their company was under the weather. When Dave caught cold Bro and Egbert assumed that it was just the fact that Dave and Bro had never been anywhere other than Texas and that he just wasn't used to the cold weather. John and his father had warned them both about the cold weather, and Bro tried his best to supply Dave with things that would keep him warm. Shortly after both John and Bro are feeling the effects of whatever bug Dave caught first.<p>

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><p>Dave lay on the couch in the living room being forced to watch movies with John. John was at his side every moment, getting Dave whatever he could need. Bro helped as well when John had been gone for seconds at a time. had come in with a thermometer and gave it to Bro, who managed to get Dave to put it in his mouth for a moment. When it beeped and the two adults checked it was claiming that Dave was at an unhealthy 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He really needed to cool down. John was pulled away from the Strider brothers as his father noted that Bro needed to take care of Dave. He offered to help but Bro said he could do it just fine. He picked Dave up and the younger Strider emitted a soft whine of defeat. John, who was standing at his father's side, looked up at him with a expression of worry. gave his son's shoulder a squeeze.<p>

"I'm sure it's just the flu John, Broderick will take good care of him and he'll be better soon."

John felt a little reassured, but his shoulders slumped down with concern for his good friend.

Bro held Dave in his arms as he started a lukewarm bath, he remembered being sick as a kid and a relaxing bath helping. He could feel how tense Dave's muscles were and could hear Dave's raspy breath. He stripped him down with little complaint from Dave. It wasn't like he could really do anything but grumble. Bro gently laid him in the tub of lukewarm water and watched as Dave shuttered. He shifted in the water and laid facing away from his brother, his head resting against the cool ceramic. Bro stayed by his side and took a washcloth, gently moving it against the others shoulders and arms, watching Dave's tense muscles relax.

Back in the kitchen John was being taught by his father to make chicken noodle soup. They made almost everything from scratch, as that was a much healthier way to do things. It annoyed Broderick at first because he couldn't just pop anything into the microwave and eat it, but he soon was calmed down seeing how Egbert was a master chef. John paid close attention, wanting to make the soup extra well for his good friend. He put as much love into as he could, as he cared for Dave more than he let on.

It wasn't long after that Bro had pulled a drifting off Dave out of the bathtub and dried him off before bringing him to the room that they were staying in. He slipped a clean pair of boxers on the other and left him that way, he didn't need to suffocate from his own clothing heating him up. He laid him down and put a sheet over him, adjusting his younger brother until he looked comfortable. Dave's weary eyes shut him out from the world and he drifted off. The older Strider went to clean up the bathroom and grab Dave's clothes from the bathroom floor. When he came back he found John sitting on a chair next to Dave, brushing his fingers through his hair and talking softly. Dave was still half asleep but was looking up at John, a smile almost invisible on his face. Bro watched from the doorway, unseen by the both of them.

"Sorry" Dave spoke, his voice raspy.

"Don't worry about it" John responded, his voice still with that cheerful tone, but with a hint of concern.

"No man….I didn't-" Dave began to respond when Bro witnessed John leaning down and silencing Dave with a soft kiss.

"Like I said…Don't worry about it" he spoke, a smile obvious in his tone. "Do you think you can eat any?" he questioned, motioning to a steaming bowl sitting on the bedside table.

Bro left to leave the two alone at this point, realizing that he didn't have to be the only one to care for Dave. He ended up on the couch in the living room, conversing with John's father.

A few days later Dave was feeling better, but now it was John and Bro who were sick in bed. John was found first as he was making gut wrenching noises in the bathroom. Dave almost lost the contents of his stomach listening so he went to go get John's father. He quickly explained what he'd hear through the sniffles and led him back. entered the bathroom and knelt by his son and began to rub his back gently.

"Just let it out, you'll feel a lot better" he spoke calmly as John lurched again, his empty stomach still believing there was more to purge. Dave had his arms wrapped around him, feeling insecure. He felt bad for getting John sick as well but when John's father noticed he said not to worry, and that bugs would pass by.

Soon enough John was showered and put to bed, a empty trashcan put next to his bed in case his stomach had more bile it wanted to empty out on him. left the room to get a glass of ice-chips for his son to suck on. He didn't want him getting dehydrated, and he wasn't about to have him eat anything. It would only come back up at this point.

It was past noon now and no sign of Bro was seen or heard around the house. Dave knew better than this. Even though his brother was a master of flash stepping and could be invisible in plain sight he knew that the other would have at least let them know that he was up by appearing once or twice by now. His brother was always up early, earlier than even John's father. He was used to having to work a lot and so in order to do so he slept a couple of hours a night, getting up early to go to his first job in the morning. Even when he didn't have to work he would still get up anyway, having gotten used to doing so for the last 13 years of Dave's life.

Dave gave John's hand a squeeze before he got up to check on his brother. When he got to the room he took one look at the other and left only to come back with a bowl of cool water and a rag. He uncovered his brother, who groaned in resistance, but didn't move. Dave removed the others shades and set them on the side table. He pulled off his older brother's shirt and rolled him over gently. He dipped the hand towel into the cool bowl of water before squeezing it out and then gently ghosting it over his brother's forehead and shoulders, down his arms and then against his back. Bro reached out to stop the other, his eyes half opened. Dave looked down at him and saw the hazy look in his brothers orange red eyes and realized that his brother really didn't feel good. He slapped his hand away carefully and rolled the other onto his back before placing the cool rag on his forehead. Bro reached out, seeing the blurry figure of his brother standing up and walking away. He closed his eyes for what only seemed like a moment, hot tears betraying him and rolling down his face, before stronger thicker arms picked him up, shifting him to a more comfortable position in bed.

Dave had gone back to John's room to check on him, only to see the other sleeping comfortably. His father had taken good care of him and John had been lulled to sleep rather than stay awake and suffer through whatever bug it was that was ailing him. Dave sat in the chair next to John's bed and put his head in his hands. He was startled when a strong hand rested itself on his shoulder.

"Now don't you go blaming yourself son, everyone gets sick once in a while. Try to get some rest yourself." spoke, and Dave looked up to him, only to see a soft caring smile. Dave nodded and left the room. Dave took one look at John before he went around to the bottom of the bed , crawling to the other side of the occupied bed, pulling the sheets up before getting in and moving close to John. It wasn't long before he was asleep as well, their breathing in sync as they slept.


End file.
